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ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2019

Novak Djokovic

Paris, France

N. DJOKOVIC/S. Caruso

6-3, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. 13 times in the last 16. 13 times in the last 16. In 14 times you played, last 14 years you played here, so is not bad.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You will have to repeat this... (Laughter.) I'm trying to follow you.

Q. 13 times in the last 16.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: 13 of last 14 years.

Q. So is not too bad.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Not too bad. There is a lot of numbers. Yes.

Q. So I would like to know what you think about. And also this other matter. Talking to Mats Wilander the other day, he said, I think Novak will have more slam titles than Federer and Nadal at the end of the career, because he's younger and so, and so, and so. And said if they were all at the same number of slams, Djokovic should deserve to be considered the best because he had to play against cactus, and Nadal and Federer were playing against lilacs, flowers.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You quoted him? Really? That's what he said?

Q. You played against cactus because you had to play Nadal, Federer.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: In the desert?

Q. In the desert.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: With no water?

Q. Yes. The others had to play against lilacs, which are flowers.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Where to start?

Let's start with the first mathematical equation that you came up with. I didn't know about the stat. It's obviously pleasure to know that I have done so well in a Grand Slam, because throughout my career, I have always valued, I think, I'm not the only one, but, you know, in my case it was always priority to play best in Grand Slam, in the biggest events.

I think this stat probably shows my commitment to the slams or my performances here in Roland Garros particularly in terms of consistency of reaching second week is quite amazing.

And I grew up on clay, so of course, you know, I do feel comfortable playing on clay, even though in my career I probably had more wins on faster surfaces in terms of bigger titles, but I enjoy playing on clay. I won some big titles on clay. And I won this tournament and played several finals and many semifinals, you know, semifinal editions, as well.

You know, it's been a while since I have performed here for the first time, but I still want to keep going. Obviously I have been playing really well this year, and, you know, reaching a second week of a slam is a success. But, you know, now the real deal starts, you know, I would say. And the matches are going to get more challenging because the opponents you're going to play are better quality and high ranked and so forth. So it's going to get only tougher from here. But I look forward to it.

Then the second thing you said about Mats Wilander, I appreciate, of course, nice words and compliments from Mats. He's one of the legends of our sport and someone who made history of this sport. If I'm not mistaken, he was one of the first players to hold three out of four slams in a year, '88, exactly. So he's someone that is around the tour that travels a lot and follows tennis.

I had an interview with him several days ago, so I thank him for nice words. I will not say more than that.

I don't know what to say. I have never played or fought against cactus in my life, so when I do that, if I get a chance, then I will answer your question.

Look, you know, I think I have answered this question before. Right now, of course, if you ask me about Federer, Nadal, I am grateful to be part of the era with them, because I think they made me the player I am today. You know, the success that I had, especially on the Grand Slams, was also due to the kind of a need to improve and to get better to win against these guys.

I think most of my Grand Slam final matches and semifinal matches were against these guys. So I needed to learn how to overcome probably the biggest challenge of my career to win against Federer, Nadal in Grand Slams.

Early phases of my career, first three, four, five years, I lost most of the matches I played against them in Grand Slams, and I didn't manage to figure things out that early in the career, but that was the process.

And at that time, if you ask me the same question, I'd probably say, you know, I'm not really grateful to be part of the same era with them, but it's been a great learning curve with me playing with these guys. It still is the same. You know, it still is the case. I still consider these two guys my biggest rivals.

Q. Looking at the score, we would think you had an easy day today, but for a set and a half, it didn't look that easy for you, physically maybe. Can you walk us through the match?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was a different day in terms of conditions. The warmest day so far. It was challenging. Obviously the ball was bouncing differently. In these kind of warmer conditions the play changes a bit.

Caruso was very motivated. I thought he stepped into the court having a clear game plan, attacking the ball from both forehand and backhand. He was hitting backhand very, very good, very solid.

He pleasantly actually surprised me with his game. I had to, you know, change my tactics quite a bit throughout the match. I think midway through the match I kind of stepped it up a little bit. I feel like I took my game to a different level, which then resulted with easier third set.

But it was a straight-set win, but as you said, it was tougher than the score indicated.

Q. The other day Tsitsipas was talking about leaving home at 12. You also left home at 12. If I understand right, it was during a very troubled time. Could you talk about what went through your mind when you left home and the role Jelena and Niki and your dad played?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I didn't leave home for good. You know, I went to train in Niki Pilic Tennis Academy in Germany first time when I was 12 after the bombings that we had in '99. I was there during the bombings for two-and-a-half months. So after that finished, then I went with my father, actually, and my uncle to Germany and I stayed for a couple of months. But then I went back, because I was going to school.

So I did not leave for good. I was still living in Serbia and partly in Germany, as well, because I was training there. Niki was my tennis father and Jelena Gencic was my tennis mother. Those two people, Niki still is very influential in my career and in my life, very impactful people that just cared a lot about me, about my family, about my professional private life.

I will never forget what they did for me. Jelena is not with us anymore, but she was, you know, probably the most important person in tennis that I ever had. She taught me all the foundations of tennis and all the fundamentals, and I inherited that passion for the game from her and understanding of the game, understanding of holistic approach to sport to life.

Niki and his wife accepted me as their own child when I was 12, because my father, my uncle did spend a week or two in Germany, they had to go back. It wasn't easy for them to leave a 12-year-old boy in a different country for another month and a half, but they did that because they felt comfortable and they trusted Niki and his wife. They really took care of me, and that's something that I'll carry forever in my heart. I mean, these people are my family.

Q. You talked earlier about the rivalries that you have with Roger and Rafa. It's obvious that this may not happen again. Do you think that tennis could suffer when eventually you and the others retire?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, I don't think so. I don't know what future brings, but I'm sure it will be bright for tennis. I mean, our sport, we are very fortunate to be part of the sport that is very global, that is very popular around the world and played around the world and has been historically one of the most important sports globally.

Sure, I mean, being in this era, you know, it seems like it's going to be hard for anyone to kind of do something the same that three of us did or even better, but you never know what happens. I mean, the sport, as everything in life, is evolving, is changing.

I'm sure that we will see some changes in the game itself, maybe scoring system, you know, things like that. You know, NextGen Finals, for example, is testing out new things. So that's an indication that the thinking of ATP and the world of tennis and tournaments is going in that direction.

Because the Millennials are, you know, require different kind of -- their attention span is shorter and it's different from generations before, so you have to adjust, I guess.

But I think tennis will do well, even when we stop playing.

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